Relentless (Fallon Sisters Trilogy: Book #1) Read Online Free PDF Page A

those braving the criminal elements within the horse slaughter trade. An unexpected romance adds to the chaotic daily life of Bren Ryan, whose love for horses spurs choices that place her in life threatening situations. It's a story of stolen horses and stolen hearts juggled with equal amounts epic stubbornness and hope. The extremes explored both rivet us and reach deeply into the breathless moments that engage a visceral reflection on the meaning of life.
    Having firsthand experience in the underworld of equine rescue and as a lifelong horseperson, I applaud O'Dwyer for capturing the rich sense of fulfillment, commitment, and hard work associated with the daily care of equines.
Relentless
brings to surface the powerful bond we've shared with these loyal partners and companions and calls to humanity for the need to protect them.
    —Katia Louise
    Filmmaker, Speaker, Credentialed Educator, Horsewoman



Chapter One
    B ren Ryan climbed into bed with her seven-year-old son Finn, pulling the covers up nice and tight. She wrapped her arms around him. Outside his window, the spotlight she'd made a point of leaving on at night caught snowflakes fluttering down from a dark December sky, and she trembled.
    "Mom?" Finn's voice shook.
    She angled him away from her, slipping her fingers through his blond hair, her palm resting on his cool forehead. "You feeling okay?"
    He glanced up, a smattering of freckles dusting his pert little nose, presently twisted with worry. "Did it hurt?"
    "Hurt?"
    "Dad. Did it hurt when he died?" Finn raised his eyebrows, an endearing gesture they teased him about when his glasses slipped down his nose.
    She held him tight. It had been almost a year since Tom's death. Finn never asked much about the particulars. Maybe that was because there was enough speculation in their small town of Clear Spring, Maryland, to fill his ears and feed his curiosity.
    But she'd done the exact opposite, gaining a reputation for being overwrought, some would say unstable, and relentless in chasing a theory she couldn't prove. Unfortunately, her recent decision and method to remind everyone they still had an unsolved murder and a killer running free would have its drawbacks. "It was quick, Finn. You know how you feel when you're hanging upside down on the monkey bars?"
    He nodded.
    "He just felt pressure, and then he fell asleep."
    Bren clenched her teeth. She would sugarcoat it for Finn but not for her friend, Kevin Bendix, the sheriff of Washington County. She'd been avoiding his calls today and the confrontation that would put them at odds.
    Finn settled in against her chest and remained quiet. Bren rested her chin on top of his head. Except for their breathing, it was silent, the slow beat of Finn's heart against her forearm soothing.
    Bren took a deep breath and shut her eyes, trying to imagine Tom's footfalls climbing the stairs after he'd locked up for the night. She half expected to find him smiling at her in the doorway of Finn's bedroom, waiting to trade places.
    A light tug on her hair brought her eyes open. Finn's small fingers were intertwined in a long, dark red strand of her hair. "Some kids on the bus today were teasing me and Aiden again." He glanced up. "They keep saying Dad's dead because you stole that old fart's horses."
    She stiffened. "That's ridiculous."
    Bren slipped out from under the covers and stood. "It's getting late, baby." She removed Finn's glasses, placing them on the nightstand, and reached for the light. "Good night, sweetheart."
    "Mom?" His eyes, the size of two brown copper pennies, peered up from beneath thick lashes. "Did you?"
    Her heart skipped a beat. She grabbed his hand and squeezed it. "No. People talk is all."
    He nodded, and Bren relaxed.
    "I'll go check on your brother." She kissed Finn's cheek. "If you need me, I'm right down the hall."
    "Good night. Love you, Mom."
    "Love you, too."
    Bren turned off the light and moved into the hall, catching her teenage son coming from the hall